Home fire safety important this time of year

Ash and chimney fires are preventable

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Area re departments hope residents will be wiser this winter by taking care of their wood-burning replaces, woodstoves and chimneys, and by properly disposing of ashes.

In recent weeks, the departments have responded to calls for ashes that ignited and chimney res, one in Pine that substantially damaged the home, and more. ese incidents are preventable when residents follow some guidelines.

“It sounds funny to say it, but re is dangerous,” Einar Jensen, spokesman for Evergreen Fire/Rescue, said. “We need to remember we can help control whether heat and fuel come together. If we allow it, that’s when we get re.”

Disposing of ashes

Fireplace and woodstove ashes cannot simply be thrown into the trash, re department personnel said. It is essential to make sure the ashes are cold before disposal.

“Put replace ashes in a noncombustible container and place them outside on a noncombustible surface away from the house,” Jensen said.

Fire ghters tell stories about people putting ashes, which turned out to be smoldering, in plastic bags, plastic buckets or trash bins. All of those led to res that re departments had to extinguish.

“Even if you can’t feel heat radiating o of the ashes, it’s still possible there are hot coals deep underneath the ash,” said Dan Hatlestad, battalion chief at Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District. “Ash acts as an insulator for the coals, helping them stay warm without burning themselves out. ese latent coals can be hot enough to ignite paper, wood or vegetation, and easily melt through plastics.”

Hatlestad also suggested removing ashes regularly from replaces and woodstoves because the ashes will cool more quickly. Putting water on the ashes essential, he noted. e hot ashes can eventually burn down to the deck, starting it on re, and that re moves to the house.

“ en, just like you would with a camp re, ensure the entire pile of ash is cool and remains wet before disposing of it,” he said.

Another concern, Jensen said, is residents who set hot ashes next to a house and/or right on a wood deck.

Chimney cleaning

Fire ghters advise that chimneys should be clean once a year by a licensed contractor.

“For me, when it comes to my safety and my family’s safety, I want to do it right with a licensed inspector,” Jensen said. “I want the work done by someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Chimneys lled with creosote can ignite, moving sometimes undetect- ed to other parts of the house, and by the time people see smoke and ames, it’s too late.

Paying for a chimney cleaning and inspection will cost much less than the costs and hassles of dealing with the aftermath of a house re.

• Space heaters should have 3 feet of space around them while they are

• Blow out candles before you

• Never use extension cords with heat-producing items such as space heaters. Plug them directly into the wall.

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